


Auld Lang

by dementorsatemysoup



Series: One Year [1]
Category: Spartacus Series (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Don't deny it, Drinking, First Kiss, First Meetings, Gaius Glaber IS A Douchebag, M/M, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-28
Updated: 2015-02-28
Packaged: 2018-03-15 13:31:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3448949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dementorsatemysoup/pseuds/dementorsatemysoup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Agron is certain of three things: 1) He is a little hungover, 2) Gaius Glaber is a douchebag, and 3) he really, really, REALLY wants to shove his tongue down Nasir's throat.</p><p>((Spartacus instantly regrets inviting Agron along to his boss's annual New Year's Eve party (and by 'regrets' he really, really, REALLY fucking owes the man a drink)))</p>
            </blockquote>





	Auld Lang

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as the line, "I'm gonna get fucked up tonight" and kind of escalated into whatever this is. So, yeah, enjoy.
> 
> Thanks for reading.

Spartacus will admit, Agron cleans up nicely. His slacks look freshly ironed, his shirt is actually stain free for once, he's wearing a _real_  tie (no doubt knotted by Naevia earlier tonight), and his hair looks like he combed it; something that he has done at least... never in the years Spartacus has known him. For a brief moment, you'd actually think Agron is a civilized member of society and not some former frat boy who may or may not have pissed in the rugby team's cooler his last semester of college.

"I'm gonna get fucked up tonight!" Until he opens his mouth.

"Are you sure we should have invited Agron?" Mira whispers leaning into Spartacus' side, glancing over at the younger man, amusement flickering in her eyes.

"It's fine," Spartacus insists with a shrug, wrapping his arm around her. "He'll be fine."

"If you say so." She gives him a skeptical look, ducking out from beneath his arm, and uses his shoulder to change out of her tennis shoes and into a pair of heels. "Alright," she starts, shoving her shoes into her purse, "let's get this over with."

Quintus Batiatus throws a New Year's Eve party every year, commemorating another year where his employees haven't gained sense and actually quit. Spartacus would love to  _be_ one of those employees who gets in his boss's face and quits, but he has no idea where he can go afterward. Gaius Glaber had made sure he couldn't get an  _actual_ job, not since the 'incident' in 2010, so he's stuck playing lapdog to Batiatus despite the fact that sometimes he wishes he could kick him out of a window (and by _sometimes_ he means  _all_ the time).

"Oh, look, Gannicus has started without us," Mira murmurs pointing out the man standing by the bar, his tie already undone. He's leaning against the bar, a glass full of something yellow clutched in his hand as he talks to a blond woman. "How many do you think he's had?"

"Enough to make this place bearable," Spartacus states letting his eyes scan the large room. Every year Batiatus has his wife pick a new venue for their party, and last year it had been some yacht (seven guests ended up seasick and Ashur had fallen overboard-though Spartacus suspected Gannicus and Crixus may have had a hand in that). This year it appears she chose a hotel ballroom, the place too ostentatious for Spartacus' taste.

"The bar  _is_ open, right?" Agron asks curiously, leaning in so Spartacus can hear him. _  
_

"Yes."

"Awesome." He then disappears into the crowd, and Spartacus suspects he and Gannicus will be best friends by the end of the night.

"Shall we mingle?"

"Sure."

Mira links arms with him and drags him towards the first person she sees, but even he can tell she'd rather be at Varro's drinking a few beers while she and Aurelia watched the two men try to figure out how to work Varro's new grill without losing their eyebrows in the process. He silently curses Batiatus for making this stupid party mandatory even as he shakes the man's hand and offers him a warm greeting.

Gods, he  _hates_  Gaius Glaber.

* * *

"I look stupid," Nasir calls from the bathroom.

"I'm sure you look fine," Naevia calls back, leaning against the wall.

"Can't you ask someone else to go with you?"

"Crixus isn't in town and you're the only other person I trust not to act like a jackass." She pushes away from the wall, walking towards the bathroom. The door's ajar, so she shoves it open, grinning when she sees her friend. He's scowling at his reflection in the mirror, glaring intensely at the tie around his neck like it personally insulted him, and for a fleeting moment she's reminded of another guy she had helped hours ago. Though, Agron had asked for a pair of scissors so he could give the tie the death it deserved. She holds back a laugh, giving Nasir a smile, and says, "You look fine."

"This thing itches," he complains tugging at his collar. "Why do I let you do these things to me?"

"Because you love me," she retorts kissing his cheek. She grabs his wrist, pulling the hair band off it, and asks, "Do you want me to put your hair in a braid again?"

"I guess," he says and she nods, grabbing a brush. "Do you think I should cut it? It's getting long."

"That's up to you," Naevia answers running the brush through his hair. "Though, if you want my opinion, I think it looks good long."

"The upkeep is terrible."

"Now you know how women feel. At least  _you_ can run a comb through your hair and tie it up in a rubberband.  _I_ have to spend hours with a hair straightener and even then sometimes it's not enough." She quickly braids his hair, tying the end, and adds, "There." She admires her work for a moment before grabbing his arm and pulling him from the bathroom. "Now let's get going before Gannicus drinks  _all_ of the bourbon."

* * *

"Her?" Gannicus asks, pointing out a brunette girl.

"No," Agron answers shaking his head, hiding a smirk behind his beer.

"What about her?" The other man points at a redhead. "I know her personally, can get you her number."

"Not my type either."

"Then  _what_ is?" Gannicus hiccups, taking another sip of his bourbon. "I agreed to be your wingman if you agreed to be mine. Pick someone for me to talk you up." He wrinkles his forehead, glancing over at Agron. "Unless you're not into women."

"And if I'm fucking not," Agron challenges raising his eyebrows.

Gannicus snorts, shrugging his shoulders. "I've known Barca for years, helped him get with Pietros, you liking men means nothing to me." He hiccups again, draining his glass, slamming it down on the counter with a sharp, "Another."

"Alright Thor," Agron mutters under his breath, scanning the crowd. He never actually agreed to be Gannicus' wingman, barely knew the man (in fact, aside from his name, he didn't _know_ him at all), but he figured if he's going to spend the entire night standing at the bar, it wouldn't hurt to make a friend (even if this friend smells like a brewery and can't quite remember his name).

"What about him?" Gannicus points to a pompous looking blond, his hand wrapped around another glass of bourbon. "He looks, you know, alright. I guess."

"He has a woman on his arm," Agron states gesturing to the dark haired woman clinging to him, her eyes darting around the room nervously yet there's a haughtiness on her face, like she doesn't want anyone to notice her but, at the same time, she _wants_  everyone to notice her. "Plus, he looks like a pompous prick."

" _Everyone_ here is a pompous prick," Gannicus says waving his hand carelessly, absentmindedly splashing some bourbon onto his sleeve. "I don't even know why I bother showing up every year." He drains his drink, nodding appreciatively, and adds, "Alright, I  _know_ why."

"Your life must be _very_   fucking thrilling." When Agron doesn't receive a response, he turns to see Gannicus kissing the blonde woman he had been talking to earlier (and seriously, where the fuck did she even come from?). With a snort, Agron orders another beer, turning away from the couple, letting his eyes scan the crowd again.

He doesn't know anyone here, is not even sure why he agreed to come, but he hasn't seen Spartacus in weeks and when the opportunity arisen to spend the night with his oldest friend he took it. Too bad Spartacus isn't anywhere to be found and Agron is stuck with Gannicus and his 'friend.' He huffs, draining half his beer, wishing he had stayed home. He and Duro could have ordered takeout and watched all the Rocky movies again. This place is boring as fuck.

He pulls his cellphone from his pocket, sending his brother a quick text: _Would rather shove needles in my fucking eyes than stick around here another minute._

Duro responds a moment later:  _Leave. No one told you to go._

_Spartacus is my ride. I have no fucking clue where we are._

_Why don't you two just fuck already?_

_Fuck off._

Agron turns his phone off, shoving it in his back pocket. This is what he gets for accidentally telling Duro about the stupid crush he had eight years ago. With a grunt, he turns, finishes his beer, and orders another.

* * *

Mira is barely paying attention to what the woman is saying, having been roped into the conversation when Spartacus excused himself to use the bathroom, but she nods along like she's listening, letting her eyes flit across the crowd in hopes of finding someone she knows who can rescue her from this conversation. It's likely she'll die of boredom before that happens.

Her gaze falls upon Spartacus, cornered by Ilithyia Glaber. She has a simpering smile on her face, her mouth moving to, no doubt, insult him, and, had Spartacus been a lesser man, she probably would have ended up lying on the floor with a bleeding lip. Mira, however, never claimed to be a good person, and, excusing herself, stalks across the floor. She catches the tail end of the conversation, something about burning all of his bridges, before Mira hauls off and punches Ilithyia in the face,

Or, that's what she would have done, had Spartacus  _not_  excused himself with a forced, polite smile and hurried away from the blond, retreating to Mira's side. He must catch the look on her face because his face softens and he says, "Whatever you're planning, forget it."

"I wasn't planning anything," Mira states looking away from him, crossing her arms, ignoring the amused look he gives her. Irritably, she asks, "So, what did she have to say?"

"It's not important," he replies with a shrug, looking around the room. "Have you seen Agron?"

"Last I saw him, he was still by the bar," Mira answers not liking how easily Spartacus brushed her question aside. "Did she say something about what happened? Between you and Glaber?"

"It's not important," he repeats with forced patience. "Can we let it go and enjoy ourselves?"

"I guess," Mira agrees after a pause, but she gives Spartacus a look that clearly tells him this  _isn't_ over, and he raises his hands with a resigned sigh.

"So," Spartacus offers Mira's conversation partner a kind smile and asks, "what were you ladies talking about?"

* * *

Nasir had begged Naevia not to abandon him, once they got to the party, and she had agreed. Until she spotted her friend Mira, and he had been forced to either follow her and stand awkwardly while she made idle conversation, or stand awkwardly by the bar and hope she didn't take too long. He really should have chosen the former.

The couple next to him really should get a room, unless they were perfectly okay with several hundred guests seeing a show they did not sign up for, and, from the way they were grinding against each other and the almost obscene noises they were making, it appears to Nasir they really don't give a damn who sees them. He edges away from them, coming to stand next to a tall, brutish looking man.

He doesn't pay Nasir any attention, at first, his eyes scooping the crowd, scowling at every face they fall upon, but finally he says, "Would rather get fucked in the ass by a brute than stand around here one more second."

"You get fucked in the ass by brutes often?" Nasir asks before he can stop himself, cursing his inability to keep his mouth shut. The man laughs softly, shaking his head, and Nasir breathes a little easier.

"You work for these people?" the guys glances over at Nasir, raising his eyebrows in inquiry.

"No," Nasir replies looking away from the guy. His eyes are a startling green, and they're both fixed on Nasir like he's the most fascinating thing in the world. It'd be safer if he did look away for a bit. "No, my friend brought me with her."

"Oh." The guy nods, grabbing his beer off the bar. "Me too."

"I don't even know anyone here," Nasir admits shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Me either." He takes a swig of his beer, offering Nasir the bottle. "I fucking hate this place."

Nasir takes the proffered bottle, taking a drink. "You can say that again."

* * *

Spartacus finally manages to shake off the last of Batiatus' men, seeking out Agron. The whole point of inviting him tonight had been so they could catch up, but it seems he's spent the majority of the night talking to people he doesn't particularly care for instead of actually speaking to his friend. He rounds the corner, spotting Agron by the bar, but he stops when the other guy comes into view.

Whatever Agron said to him, the guy found funny, laughing softly as he looks down at his shoes. Agron grins back, taking the beer the smaller man offers him, shaking his head when the guy responds. Spartacus decides to give them some privacy, turning to seek out Mira and Naevia, but he takes an involuntary step back when he finds Gaius Glaber standing directly behind him, a wicked smile on his face.

"Spartacus," he says acting as if he's surprised to see him, but Spartacus can tell he's been looking for him all night. "It's so  _nice_ to see you."

"Glaber. I wish I could say the same but then that'd make us both liars."

Glaber's look turns dark. "Still not holding grudges against the  _unfortunate_  circumstances that befell upon you, are you?"

Spartacus scoffs, shaking his head. "Don't try to deny that you had any part in what happened because I know the truth."

"Do you? Are you sure? Perhaps we should ask Sura? Oh, wait, we can't." Punching Gaius Glaber is the worst, yet best, decision Spartacus has ever made.

* * *

When he sees security forcibly escorting Spartacus outside, Agron cuts Nasir off mid-sentence, muttering an apology, and stalks across the room. Without thinking, he punches the first guard he sees, knocking him to the floor, turning to hit another. He feels fingers brush his back before a battle cry erupts through the room and a loud thump draws his attention. He whirls around, grinning broadly when he sees that Nasir had knocked another guard down, this one having tried to grab Agron from behind.

It takes the combined effort of fifteen guards to get all three men outside. A small, balding man follows them out, waving his hands wildly, screaming at Spartacus. "Apologize! You go and apologize or you're done! Do you hear me?"

Spartacus straightens up, his lips bleeding freely, and stalks towards the man. He towers over him, a smirk on his face, and says, "I quit." He then turns and walks away, ignoring the guy when he calls him back.

Agron turns to Nasir, nodding towards Spartacus, and says, "You should come with us."

Regret flashes in the smaller man's eyes. "I can't, I have to wait for Naevia. Perhaps another time."

Agron pushes down the disappointment he feels, nodding, and says, "Perhaps."

He catches up to Spartacus just as Mira does, both offering their friend questioning look, and he shrugs. Mira nods, grinning, and jests, "At least you have a plan."

"Fuck having a plan," Agron shouts throwing his head back, howling at the moon. "Let's go get shitfaced!" They start towards Spartacus' car, Mira mentioning some pub a few blocks from here, and Agron glances over his shoulder, hoping to catch a glimpse of Nasir, but the guy's already lost to him. Silently he wonders if he'll ever see the man again.

* * *

"Here," Naevia says, offering Nasir a baggie full of ice. "That looks like it hurts."

"It's fine," he responds gently pressing the ice to his bruised face, wincing slightly. "Sorry I got thrown out of your office party."

"It's fine." Naevia offers him a smile, sitting across from him on her coffee table. "I was getting bored anyway. If I have to listen to Lucretia talk about the cost of another party one more time..." she makes a face and Nasir laughs softly, wincing again. "So, who's honor were you protecting?"

"What?" He looks away from her, trying to fight a smile. "Nobody's."

"Nasir, spill." She slaps his leg, giving him an expectant look. "Tell me everything. What's his name?"

Nasir shrugs and mutters, "Agron." He huffs, and adds, "It doesn't matter. I'm never going to see him again." He meets her eyes, expecting sympathy, but he's surprised to see the excitement flashing in her eyes, a wide smile on her face. "What?"

"Nothing," she says quickly, her smile getting impossibly wider.

Eyeing her worriedly, Nasir states, "Seriously, what?"

"Does he, by any chance, have two dimples when he smiles?" she asks innocently, leaning back on her palms. "And bright green eyes? Maybe comes off as a tad brutish? A bit of a swearing problem?"

"Fuck the gods, you  _know_ him?" Nasir demands giving his friend a scandalized look.

"He's one of Crixus' frat brothers." She gets to her feet, heading into the kitchen, only to return a moment later with her cellphone. "I have his number. If you want it."

Of course he wants it. He had wanted to ask Agron tonight, before they got kicked out of the party, but the fight happened and then he was leaving and Nasir had been convinced they'd never see each other again. But here is Naevia, his best friend, offering him the guy's number. Offering him the one thing he figured he'd never be in possession of, and he's not even giving her a fucking answer.

"Yes," he blurts scrambling to get his phone from his pocket, dropping it in the process. "Shit."

She grins, leaning down to pick it up, and hands it back to him. He takes it, waiting impatiently for her to text him Agron's number, and when she does he launches at her, giving her a hug. "Thank you." He quickly releases her, giving her a wary look, and asks, "How do I even know if he likes men?"

"Oh, trust me." Naevia winks, placing her phone next to her on the coffee table. "So, when you two get married am I going to be your best man?"

Nasir picks up a pillow and hits her with it. "Shut up."

* * *

It's late afternoon when Agron pulls himself from sleep. He lies in bed for a while, head shoved under his pillow to block out the sunlight spilling into his room from between his blinds, but eventually he forces himself to get up. It doesn't help matters that Duro blasts some stupid song, the music loud enough to vibrate Agron's bed. He groans, loudly, vowing to kill his brother later, and grabs his phone to check the time.

He notices there's a few text messages from Spartacus, asking if he got home okay, and another from Mira that merely says,  _You owe me fifty bucks._

He snorts, knowing he's not going to pay her, and almost puts his phone back on his cluttered nightstand, but stops when he sees he has another text. This one is from an unknown number and he very nearly doesn't open it, but curiosity gets the better of him. It simple says: _This is Nasir, from last night. Naevia gave me your number._

Agron may not remember a lot from last night, but he remembers Nasir. He smiles and texts back:  _Yeah, I remember. Tell her good call._  He hits send, getting out of bed to take a shower.

When he gets out, he grabs his phone, checking to see if Nasir wrote him back, grinning broadly when he finds a message waiting for him.  _Wanna meet?_

_Yeah. Where?_

_I live about a block from Crassius Park. We could meet there._

_Alright._ He knows exactly where that is; his apartment only a handful of blocks away. _  
_

Agron tosses his phone onto his bed, hurriedly getting dressed, and rushes out of his bedroom. His brother is eating cereal, having turned his music off when he noticed his brother had gotten up, grunting when Agron slaps the back of his head. "The hell was that for?"

"You know," Agron snarls pointing at him, picking his jacket up off the floor. "Wake me up again to that shit and I'll throw your stereo out of the window."

"Been threatening that since I got the damn thing," Duro grumbles stabbing at his food. "Where are you going?"

"None of your fucking business." He opens the door, stepping out into the hall, adding over his shoulder, "Wash that goddamn bowl when your done." He slams the door before his brother can even think of a retort.

* * *

Nasir keeps checking over his shoulder, expecting to see Agron, only to feel a small bout of disappointment every time he doesn't see him. He doesn't allow himself to believe he's been stood up, figuring Agron lived a lot further from the park than Nasir did. That, or he had gotten held up. He's  _not_ standing Nasir up; there's a legitimate reason as to why he isn't here yet.

After fifteen minutes, Nasir stands to leave, feeling a little dejected. He had been hoping to see Agron again, but it appears the taller man does not share his feelings. He shoves his hands in his jacket pockets, balling them up into fists, and starts towards the park's exit, only to stop when he hears someone shout, "Nasir, wait!" He turns, watching as Agron races towards him, juggling two cups of coffee and a paper sack.

He dodges a woman walking her dog, barely avoids tripping over a baby stroller, but eventually he skids to a halt next to Nasir, talking face. "I stopped for coffee, but then I realized I had no idea how you took yours so I, sorta, took everything."

Nasir grabs the paper bag before Agron can drop it, peeking inside. Sure enough, it appears that the taller man had cleared out the sugar and creamer station, dozens upon dozens nestled inside along with a couple stirring sticks. He looks up, giving Agron a curious look, and asks, "What would you say if I told you I didn't  _like_ coffee."

"You don't?" Agron's face seems to fall and he glares at the ground. "Fuck the gods, I should have called ahead of time."

"Well, you're in luck." Agron looks up, confused, and Nasir grins. "I love coffee."

"You're an asshole."

They sit down on the bench Nasir had occupied earlier, Agron handing over one of the coffees he had, and Nasir digs into the bag full of coffee additives. He adds some hazelnut creamer to his coffee, along with a packet of sugar, and stirs the contents. Agron leaves his black, taking a sip of it, and says, "Did you think I wasn't going to show up?"

Nasir shrugs, rolling the to go cup between his hands. "We don't know each other. It's not like we  _had_ to meet."

"But I wanted to see you again."

Nasir smiles shyly and whispers, "Me too."

* * *

"We were... No, listen,  _listen_ , we were called The Gladiators. Hey, stop laughing." Nasir buries his face in his hands, laughing harder, and Agron can't help the grin that spreads across his face. "We were very fierce."

"I'm sure you were," Nasir retorts and Agron lightly shoves his shoulder, shaking his head.

"What about you? What were you like in school?"

"Quiet mostly." Nasir shrugs, finishing the last of his coffee. "Kept to myself, didn't have too many friends." He playfully pushes Agron, smiling. "Didn't fantasize about fighting in an arena full of screaming fans."

"Hey, never said I fantasized about that," Agron argues narrowing his eyes at Nasir in faux-anger. He then shrugs and adds, "Though, Spartacus might have a time or two; the man lets his imagination get away from him more than is healthy."

They fall silent, looking away from each other. Agron still has most of his coffee, never really liking the stuff, and he holds out the cup to Nasir. The smaller man accepts it and asks, "How do you know Naevia?"

"Crixus and Spartacus are friends... usually."

"Usually?"

Agron snorts and says, "They fight like they're married half the time. If I didn't know both were straight, I'd say they were fucking." He laughs, shaking his head. "Naevia used to hang around the frathouse a lot, mostly because Crixus was there, we'd talk." He shrugs. "Nothing big. What about you?"

"I met Naevia when I moved here. She's my neighbor, helped me find a job. She's like the sister I've never had."

A gentle breeze brushes past them, making Nasir shiver, and Agron checks his watch. "Shit, it's nearly five."

"Really?"

"We should probably head back."

Regret flashes across Nasir face, much like it did last night, but he still nods. "Yeah."

They linger for a moment longer before Agron asks, "Can I walk you home?"

"Okay."

They don't say much on the walk back to Nasir's, but their hands brush a couple times. Agron's never been the hand holding type, but he wouldn't mind if Nasir wanted to hold his, and a couple times he almost links their fingers, but he decides against it in the end. When they get to Nasir's building, they stop right outside, neither one making any move to head inside or leave.

Finally, Nasir says, "Good bye."

Agron watches him go for a few seconds, willing himself to move, to stop him, to do  _something._ He's just standing there, like an idiot, watching this cute guy walk away. He's so stupid.

Nasir stops, a few inches from his door, and says, "Hey, Agron."

"Yeah."

The smaller man turns, strides back to the bigger man. He stands on his toes, grabbing Agron's face, and kisses him. The taller man brings his hands up, resting them on the sides of the Nasir's neck, and returns the kiss. They break apart a few moments later, both smiling, and Nasir says, "I had a good time."

"Me too."

"I'm going to call you," he says releasing Agron, turning to head inside.

"Not if I call you first." Agron immediately regrets the words, but the smile Nasir gives him makes the embarrassment a little less pronounced.

"Good night, Gladiator." Nasir grins, disappearing into his building.

Agron snorts, turning to leave, muttering under his breath, "Little shit."

 


End file.
